The Trio on Privet Dr
by kab240
Summary: Not cheesy, come on wout crackers? but anyway, Ron and Hermione visit Harry at Privit Dr. Interesting and they meet some Order members... MWAH HA HA! Chapter 2 is up and running!
1. rubbing the palms of her hands

CHAPTER 1  
  
"I'm so…" for once Hermione could not think up the word. She was very high-strung at the moment, "I don't know, I'm excited and scared, because of Harry's horrible relatives – apprehensive, that's the word, I'm apprehensive – "  
  
"Hermione," Ron said, who was sitting next to her in the bumpy car ride, with a bit of a shaky voice himself (though possibly caused by the bumpy car ride) "calm down."  
  
"Your right, the last thing Harry needs is his friends to arrive and acting like this…" she gestured at herself disapprovingly.  
  
"Yeah, that's what I meant." But Ron's humor went unnoticed by Hermione, who had begun rubbing the palms of her hands on her jeans. "But still! It's going to be fun, and I bet Harry's really excited."  
  
Harry waited in the living room for his friends to arrive. He still couldn't believe he had convinced Vernon Dursley to agree with this. Of course he hadn't done it alone. Mad Eye Moody had a lot to do with it (as well as the others, but Mad Eye scared Uncle Vernon the most, and scaring Uncle Vernon is the only way to make him agree). The Dursley family sat in the kitchen biting their tongues and sipping cold tea. They had tried to busy themselves, to pass the time, but the house was completely spotless, the garden was weed-free, and it was too soon to cook dinner. Aunt Petunia even cleaned Harry's bedroom out of boredom. 30 minutes had passed when Uncle Vernon came into the living room where Harry was eagerly looking out the window.  
  
"Seems your kind are always late" Uncle Vernon said, as an intimidating grin spread across his face.  
  
"Hermione's got muggle parents, you know, non-magic folk, you've seen them before." At this, Uncle Vernon went slightly purple and muttered something like "I don't care if I've bloody seen them" and headed for the door. But before reaching it he said "Your sure their coming by car?"  
  
"Yes, muggles remember?"  
  
"Hmm…" and then he left the room, probably wondering what kind of car it would be.  
  
"Privit Drive! Ron this is his street, he lives on number 4!" She counted four houses down the road, but it was seemingly useless, as all the houses looked exactly the same, with the exact same evenly cut green grass, and colorful gardens under identical windows. The Volkswagen Jetta parked in the driveway, and Ron and Hermione piled out of the car, forgetting their bags and heading for the house. But Harry had already pounded out the front door.  
  
"Ron, Hermione!" Harry yelled. Neighbors eyed the newcomers questioningly, because it was common knowledge that Harry didn't have any friends here, and that he went to a school for incurable criminal boys. Though it was a bit obvious that Hermione was NOT a boy. Oh well, thought Harry, let them stare. He was surprised he could be so happy after the death of Sirius Black. The anti-depressant potion Dumbledore had ordered Snape to make worked fairly well. But he still woke up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat after reliving his Godfathers death.  
  
"Harry!" Hermione ran the length of the driveway and embraced Harry. Of course Harry had been expecting this, it was the Hermione thing to do. But it was still a little uncomfortable. Ron walked up from behind and waited silently for Hermione to release Harry. When she did Harry and Ron just looked at each other for a while before Ron gave an unexpected half hug.  
  
"Erm… nice to, erm, see you mate" Ron said.  
  
Harry smiled encouragingly. "Where are your things?"  
  
"Still in the car! Ohp! No, they're right here!" Hermione said, after turning around and seeing her mother bringing up both Ron and Hermione's trunks. "Thanks, Mum, we'll take them from here" Mrs. Granger set the trunks on the ground and put her arm around her daughter in a motherly fashion. Harry looked down at the cement. He didn't really know why. Maybe because he never really knew his own parents, and that the only other person closest to a parent to him just died. Hermione seemed to sense this and let go of her mother, clearing her throat. "Should we, um… go inside now?"  
  
"Oh yeah! It's not much to see," Harry began, but was interrupted by Ron.  
  
"Better than my place, I bet!"  
  
"I don't know, I seem to enjoy staying at yours better" Ron snorted in return. But he was pleased by the comment nonetheless.  
  
"Bye Mum." Hermione said, giving her mom a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Bye Mrs. Granger." Ron said.  
  
"Bye" Harry finished.  
  
"Bye, honey" and she waved to Harry and Ron, got in her car, pulled out of the driveway, and headed down Privit drive.  
  
As the trio walked up the driveway to the front door, Harry noticed all three Dursleys staring out the living room window, Aunt Petunia holding a mug of tea. Ron and Hermione must have noticed too, because they stopped short.  
  
"Those are your relatives?" Hermione asked, surprised. Harry only grunted, he'd be surprised too if it was the first time looking at them.  
  
They got to the door, and Harry pulled it open, letting Hermione and Ron go through first. Both of them looked around the house, but Hermione more than Ron. She seemed to have noticed the cupboard under the stairs. "Harry? Is that… where, erm…"  
  
"Yes" Harry answered, keen to change the subject, "I'll show you to my, um, bedroom now" They headed up the stairs. "It's not big, but we'll all fit in nicely."   
  
Halfway up the stairs, Hermione called up to Harry "This is a really clean house." Right then there was cough from the hallway, they all looked down to see the Dursleys staring purple faced up at them. Harry began walking faster.   
  
Ron kept looking up and down the house, impressed by how nice it looked.  
  
When they got to the upstairs, Hermione, obviously not knowing where Harry's room was, started toward the messy open room, which was Dudley's room, but noticed Harry walking to the end room, where the door consisted of a number of complicated locks.  
  
"Harry! How awful, how many locks do you have on your door?"  
  
"Um… I don't know, I've never counted them"  
  
"Remember, Hermione, he used to have bars on his window too" Ron told her.  
  
"I remember perfectly well, but this is just insane"  
  
"More insane then the bars?" Ron asked.  
  
"Well, no…" But as Harry opened the door, without actually having to unlock any of the locks, she calmed down, "At least they are not being used any longer."  
  
"This is my room" Harry said, determined to be a good host, "You can put your trunks just next to my bed or something."  
  
"Where are we sleeping?" Ron asked, looking around the small, but newly tidied room.  
  
"Well, I didn't really know what to do, so I think we're just sleeping here on the floor." Harry put in. "There's enough room…" he said hopefully.  
  
"All three of us, or are you going to sleep on the bed?" Hermione questioned, "Because there really isn't that much space on the floor."  
  
"Or… you could sleep on the bed, while me and Harry slept on the floor." Ron suggested.  
  
"Yeah, that's fine by me." Harry said. But as Hermione looked at the bed, he could tell she didn't think that was much better. "Even if it is raggedy, and lumpy… and a bit small…"  
  
"It's fine, I was just thinking…"  
  
"Hermione, you think too much." Ron said, dumping his trunk onto Harry's floor.  
  
"I do not, Ron! You just think to little"  
  
"She's got a point there, mate" Harry agreed.  
  
"Well, now whose side are you on?" Ron imposed.  
  
Hermione continued "He's not on a side, Ron, he's just merely speculating – "  
  
"Before you guys really start, can you just stop bickering?" Harry urged. Hermione looked down at the floor, and Ron shifted in disappointment.  
  
"Your right Harry, we're sorry" She looked at Ron, prompting him to agree.  
  
"It's okay, it's just… I want this to be a good week." Harry said seriously.  
  
"So do we." Ron said. "But, erm… changing the subject a bit, what is there to do here?"  
  
"Good question, let's ask Dudley" Harry said brightly, this is going to be interesting!  
  
They left Harry's room and headed down the hallway toward the stairs, but loud music from Dudley's room told them he was in there. Knocking loudly on the closed door he yelled "Duddykins, oh Ickle Diddy dums!" If this was strange to either Ron or Hermione, they didn't show it.  
  
The trio listened as Dudley turned the music low (which means it was still fairly loud) and wobbled (it's difficult to walk when your that heavy) even more loudly to the door. He opened it just enough to show his head. His face was red, and his eye's showed that he was nervous.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Well, Dinky Diddydums" Harry noticed Dudley's face go even redder, "We want to know what there is to do around here"  
  
"Yeah, like where's the closest mall or library" Hermione put in.  
  
"Library?" Ron whispered disbelieving behind Hermione. Dudley didn't answer, he just looked at Hermione as if she was a talking dog or something of the sort.  
  
"Yes, library, there's some books I want to get that aren't at my library at home, I was hoping I might get a chance to go to yours, Harry, and see if they've got them there."  
  
"Well, we can walk to the library… I guess, you want to do that now?" Harry said.  
  
"And see what else there is in town." Ron muttered, following Harry and Hermione down the stairs, leaving Dudley standing purple faced at his door.  
  
END OF CHAPTER 1 


	2. two pastries to go

CHAPTER 2  
  
The library was fairly close by, and while Hermione browsed through there, Ron and Harry went a couple places down to the arcade. Harry used some money he'd found on sidewalks and such so he could teach Ron how to play them, but since he had never been allowed near the computer or any of Dudley's game systems, he wasn't any closer to figuring it out than the average wizard would be. Ron was different on the other hand. He didn't get the sense in them at all and couldn't understand how something as complicated as this could be considered fun.  
  
"But Ron, this makes a lot more sense to muggles."  
  
"Who can call pressing buttons fun?" Ron explained astounded.   
  
"It's what happens when you press the buttons on the screen that makes it fun, Ron."  
  
"Whatever, I'm not gonna try to understand you people. Let's just find Hermione and a café, I'm starving!"  
  
"Good plan" Harry said sarcastically "except I have no more money"  
  
"What? That's it? These are expensive games." Harry decided against explaining to Ron where the money actually came from, and besides, Ron already knew Harry had even less money than Ron during the summer holidays. "Maybe Hermione's got some muggle money." Ron said looking around the room as if he'd see Hermione jumping up and down holding tons of cash.  
  
…  
  
Hermione sat at the tables in the café of the library, she wasn't very hungry, but she decided to get two pastries on the go for Ron and Harry, both of whom where very thin, especially Harry, which brought her back to thinking about his home life. She hadn't yet seen the Dursley's act quite the way Harry had described. Of course she'd only seen them for a couple of minutes, but she had expected them to at least help them carry their things up the stairs. Hermione's suitcase was heavy with books. But all they did was stand there, and Harry's aunt didn't even say "thank you" when she commented on how clean the house was. All she did was cough, which I assume was as close as a "thank you" she'd get all week.  
  
Then an idea suddenly struck her. She practically jumped out of her seat in excitement, as if someone sneaked up behind and poked her on the back. It was a brilliant idea, now all she had to do was talk to Ron without Harry knowing about it.  
  
…  
  
"How big is this library?" Ron asked earnestly, looking past every long aisle of books, and turning to Harry said "Which section do you think she'd be in?"  
  
"Erm… – "  
  
"Harry! Ron!" came a loud whisper behind them. They turned around suddenly to find Hermione standing there, looking a little flushed.  
  
"Well, there you are – " Ron began loudly.  
  
"Ron! Shush! This is a library!" Hermione whispered, "Here, I bought you two something, I figured you were hungry."  
  
"Food!" He began loudly " – Sorry, Hermione, ooh pastries! I get this one!" Ron said, picking the larger pastry, while Harry grabbed the other.  
  
"Thanks Hermione." Harry said, grinning as he bit into the pastry, "We were juss talkin' 'bout that too!" He finished with a mouthful.  
  
"Where you really?"  
  
"Yeah, and we were hoping you'd have money, because we're both dirt poor" Ron exaggerated, gesturing toward himself and Harry, while beginning to stuff his face.  
  
"Well, that's nice to know you were going to mooch off me, you've got your pastry."  
  
"Hermione, it was a joke, or do you know what that is?" Ron said sarcastically, with a full mouth.  
  
"No, it would not have been a joke if I hadn't bought the pastries" She said huffily. Ron swallowed his food.  
  
"Very good point, Hermione, very good point"  
  
…  
  
The trio started home after a long day of walking aimlessly around town, there were a few stores that interested them, but decided to leave them for another day.  
  
"I know there's really no point in mentioning this, but that guys been following us for blocks." Hermione harbored.  
  
"Really? Where?"  
  
"Ron, don't look! He works for Dumbledore, he must be in the Order, but I haven't yet figured out who it is, you think it could be your father, Ron? He looks a bit like him with the ginger hair, it's most definitely a guy."  
  
Ron became suddenly rattled. "My dad? Spying –"He turned around, ignoring what Hermione said. The man that was following them tripped over his feet, but quickly regained his balance.  
  
"Ron… he's not… spying." Harry told him with a concerned voice.  
  
Hermione kept looking sideways in Harry's direction, but her attention was behind them across the street.  
  
Suddenly Hermione hollered loudly, relieving Harry of speaking. "Holy Cricket! It's Mundungus Fletcher!" Ron and Harry turned around quickly to see Mundungus. He stopped quickly, dropping a bag from his shoulder. It fell to the ground with a distinct clang. And then he kicked it. The three of them hastened over to him.  
  
"Ya weren' suppos' to see me." Mundugus scowled, disappointment across his features. There was a slight pause, then Hermione said, "Well… we did"  
  
"Now that's a bit obvious! The plan was you weren' suppos' to see me"  
  
"Sorry, should we just pretend we didn't then?" Harry inquired uncomfortably.  
  
"I never heard of a better idea meself!" Mundungus answered brightly, and picked up his bag, "Now, shoo! Off you go." He waved his hand at them menacingly. Harry, with Hermione and Ron next to him, crossed back to the other side of the street. Ron muttered something about privacy before Hermione scoffed at him. After a bit of walking, they slowly became more comfortable with the idea of being followed and their conversations went from Quidditch, and then Hogsmeade, which somehow led to Hagrid.  
  
"You think he's all right, you know… with Grawp in the forest and all?" offered Ron. Worry began to crease Hermione's face.  
  
" I really hope so… I mean, I've gotten letters from Hagrid, and all he says is 'I'm fine, Grawp's doing great' but… you know Hagrid."   
  
"Maybe Dumbledore's there to keep an eye on him," suggested Harry, "Unless Dumbledore doesn't live there during the summer holidays." His voice tightened, still, the thought of Dumbledore angered him slightly.  
  
Ron snorted "I can just imagine Dumbledore in America, posing in front of the Statue of Liberty!" Hermione rolled her eye's in a you-know-that's-not-true fashion.  
  
"Honestly! Dumbledore would never leave Hogwarts."  
  
"Now, that, I can understand." 


End file.
